Power transmission casing apparatus in motorized two-wheeled vehicle

ABSTRACT

A power transmission casing apparatus in a motorized two-wheeled vehicle which comprises a case main body extending from one lateral side of an internal combustion engine to one lateral side of a rear wheel in rear thereof and supporting rotatably a wheel axle of the rear wheel. The case main body is applied with a cover member for containing therein liquid-tightly a reduction gear means, and is applied with another cover member for containing therein a V-belt means.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 408,685, filed Aug. 16, 1982, which is a Division of U.S. Ser. No. 178,942, filed on Aug. 15, 1980, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,500.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a power transmission casing apparatus in a motorized two-wheeled vehicle such as a motorcycle or the like.

In general, it is preferable in a two-wheeled vehicle of this kind to use a V-belt means with the intention of transmitting an output of an internal combustion engine to a rear wheel provided in rear thereof, because there is a comparatively large distance between an output shaft of the engine and a wheel axle of the rear wheel. And it is required for this case to provide a reduction gear means for reducing a speed of the output shaft because it is comparatively high in rotation speed, and additionally it is preferable in this case that the reduction gear means be located on the rear wheel side, that is, inside the V-belt means and also be of such a wet type as immersed in oil.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention has for its object to provide an apparatus in which the V-belt means and the wet type reduction gear means with the location as above are contained in a single common casing and the whole of the apparatus is. The invention is characterized in that a case main body extending from one lateral side of an internal combustion engine to one lateral side of a rear wheel in rear of the engine and supporting pivotally an axle of the rear wheel is applied at its rearward portion with a transmission cover member which covers a reduction gear means comprising the wheel axle, an input shaft and a gear train connecting therebetween in a fluid tight manner, and is applied at its front portion with a V-belt cover member which covers a V-belt means comprising a pulley on the input shaft passing through the transmission cover member, a pulley on an output shaft of the engine and V-belt connecting between the two pulleys.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a side view of one example of this invention apparatus applied to a motorized two-wheeled vehicle,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the same, and

FIG. 3 is a side view, partly omitted, thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

One embodying example of this invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings:

Referring to the drawings, numeral 1 denotes a vehicle body for a motorcycle or the like, numeral 2 denotes a front wheel thereof, numeral 3 denotes a rear wheel of the same, and numeral 4 denotes an internal combustion engine interposed between the two. There is provided a case main body 6 which extends from one lateral side of the engine 4 to one lateral side of the rear wheel 3 so as to form a rearwardly extending rigid frame. The main body 6 rotatably support a wheel axle 5 of the rear wheel 3. The case main body 6 is partitioned at its interior into a front casing section 6a and a rear casing section 6b. The rear casing section 6b is applied with a transmission cover member 10 in a fluid tight manner so as to form a transmission chamber B, and the front casing section 6a is applied with a V-belt cover member 16 so as to form a V-belt chamber A.

The chamber B contains therein a reduction gear means 9 comprising the wheel axle 5, an input shaft 7 on the forward side of the wheel axle 5 and a gear train 8 interconnecting therebetween, and is charged with oil.

The chamber A contains therein a V-belt means comprising a pulley 11 mounted on a protruded portion of the input shaft 7 passing through the cover member 10, a pulley 13 mounted on an output shaft 12 of the engine 14 located in front of the input shaft 7 and a V-belt 14 extending and connecting between the two pulleys 11, 13. Thus, the case main body 6 is formed together with the cover members 10, 16 into an integrally combined assembly which contains in its rear section the reduction gear means 9 of wet type and in its front section the V-belt means 15 of dry type, in such an arrangement that the former 9 is closed to the rear wheel 3 and the latter 15 is located outside the same. An automatic centrifugal clutch means 17 is provided on an outer end of the input shaft 7. The case main body 6 is formed integrally, at its front end portion, with the side surface of the casing of the engine so as to constitute as a whole a power unit, and this unit is swingably attached to the vehicle body 1 side through a pivot 18 provided at its front upper end portion.

The transmission cover member 10 has a portion extending rearwards beyond the rear end of the V-belt cover member 16, and is provided at that extended portion with an oil charging opening 19 and an oil discharging opening 20 for interchanging of interior lubrication oil with a new one, and thus the work of interchanging of the oils can be carried out without detaching the V-belt cover member 16. In respect of the V-belt 14, it can be interchanged simply by detaching the cover member 16 alone. The case main body 6 is so formed that its plane on which the cover member 10 is to be put and its plane on which the cover member 16 is to be put are in the same plane, so that the same can be worked, for instance, by a milling cutter and the workability thereof can be improved. The case main body 6 and the V-belt cover member 16 are formed into such a convenient combination one that the two are put one upon another directly without using an interposed packing or the like therebetween and are joined together by screws such as bolts or the like, and thereby the cover member 16 can serve as an reinforcing member so as to increase the rigidity of the case main body 6.

Numeral 21 denotes a kick shaft for starting the engine 4, and numeral 22 denotes a starter gear train extending therefrom.

MODE OF OPERATION

The operation of the apparatus will be explained as follows:

The output of the engine 4 is transmitted through the V-belt means 15 and the reduction gear means 9 to the rear wheel 3, so that the vehicle is driven to run. In this apparatus, the two means 15, 9 are contained in the single common covered case main body 6 in front and rear relationship, so that the whole thereof becomes comparatively small in size. Additionally, the reduction gear means 9 is applied with the transmission cover member 10 in a fluid tight manner and the lubrication oil is held therein and thus the same can be always secured in a good lubrication condition.

Thus, according to this invention, the case main body extending in the front and rear directions is applied with the cover members and contains therein the reduction gear means and the V-belt means in front and rear relationship, so that the whole of the casing apparatus can be obtained with a comparatively small-sized one, and the reduction gear means is applied on its outer surface with the cover member liquid-tightly, so that lubrication oil can be held therein and the reduction gear means can be always kept in a good lubricating condition. 

What we claim is:
 1. A power transmission casing apparatus in a motorized two-wheeled vehicle comprising:a case main body extending from one lateral side of an internal combustion engine to one lateral side of a rear wheel positioned rearwardly of said engine, said case main body being partitioned into front and rear casing sections and having a longitudinally extending lateral wall, said rear casing section rotatably supporting a wheel axle of said rear wheel and having a recessed portion for partially housing a reduction gear means which includes said wheel axle, an unput shaft, and a gear train operatively interconnecting said input shaft to said wheel axle, a transmission cover member sealingly engaging at least a portion of the lateral wall of said case main body to cover the recessed portion thereof in a fluid tight manner; and a V-belt cover sealingly engaging said case main body; said case main body including on the lateral wall thereof transverse projections which extend to such a position that said transmission cover member and said V-belt cover engage the lateral wall of said case main body; said casing apparatus housing V-belt means including a rear pulley on said input shaft, a forward pulley on an output shaft of said engine and a V-belt operatively connecting said pulleys, each of said pulleys having a circumferential periphery wherein said reduction gear means are positioned closer to said rear wheel than said V-belt means, and a centrifugal clutch is provided on an outer end of said input shaft furthermost from said rear wheel via said reduction gear means and said V-belt means; wherein said transmission cover member extends to enclose said reduction gear means to form a wet type chamber to hold a lubricant to immerse said reduction gear means; and wherein said V-belt cover extends from beyond the forwardmost portion of the periphery of said forward pulley to beyond the rearmost portion of the periphery of said rear pulley to enclose said V-belt means for form a dry type chamber; said case main body being integrally provided at the front casing section thereof with an engine casing to form a power unit with said transmission cover member and said V-belt cover, the power unit being swingably mounted on the vehicle body; and said V-belt cover and said transmission cover member being both on the same side of said case main body in an opposed relation to said engine and said rear wheel.
 2. A power transmission casing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said case main body is formed with a single plane for mounting said transmission cover member and said V-belt cover.
 3. A power transmission apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a kick shaft for starting said engine, and a starter gear train operatively connected with said kick shaft, wherein said kick shaft and said starter gear train are supported in the front casing section of said case main body between the lateral wall of said case main body and said V-belt cover. 